Vapor electric device



Feb. 6, 1940. w. E/PAKALA 2,189,612

VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE Filed July 16, 1958 INVENTOR T Vz'lliam E. Pzzlrala.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 6, .1940

PATENT OFFICE VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE I William E. Pakala, Forest Hills, Pa'., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 16, 1938, Serial No. 219,669

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a vapor electric device and particularly to a vapor control system for such a device.

In the operation of vapor electric devices such 5; as make-alive type valves, it has been found that reliability is greatly increased by providing suitable babies for controlling the vapor pressure adjacent the anode. I have found that this action may be greatly improved by shielding the cathode spot so that little if any foreign material can enter the cathode area from which it would be ejected by high velocity by the action of the cathode spot. The action can further be improved by so directing the vapor emanating from it the cathode so that it sweeps across a cool condensing surface in such a manner as to maintain the condensing surface in a clean conditiornso that at'least during operation of the device the condensing surface will besubstantially Wetted by the cathode material as forming a more eflicient condensing surface.

By controlling the vapor flow so that the jet of vapor rising from the cathode is deflected in a substantially fiat downwardly directed beam, the flow of vapor produces a pumping action to maintain the anode area free of undesirable vapors and foreign material. According to my invention this combines sweeping and pumping action which is obtained by'providing a streamline baflie which re-directs the vapor stream emanating from the cathode into a substantially flat downwardly directing beam which sweeps across a curved condensing surface preferably comprising an enlarged bottom portion of the as usual valve chamber.

of cathode material therealong maintains the surface in a clean condition.

f It is a further object of my invention to provide a vapor control system which during the normal operation, maintains a. pumping. action to clear the anode space of undesirable gases.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a cathode surface which is free of undesirable foreign particles. I

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a v terial preferably graphite.

sectional elevation of a vapor electric device according to my invention.

In the illustrative embodiment of my invention, the vapor electric device comprises the make-alive type valve having an evacuated container 2 preferably of metal and havinga pool type cathode 3 composed of mercury, gallium, tin or other suitable material. Cooperating with this pool type cathode is an anode t of suitable ma- Preferahly a side shield 5 is interposed between the anode and the cooled side walls of the evacuated container 2.

Amalie-alive electrode 6, that is, an electrode of. resistance material, is placed in contact with the cathode material 3 for periodically establishing a cathode spot thereon. In order to prevent excessive dirt or other foreign material, from entering theactive cathode area "i, the active cathode area i is surrounded by a suitable quartz baifie 8 of considerable height, which not only deflects the foreign material from the active cathode area I but acts as a chimney to direct the flow of cathode vapor emanating from the vicinity of the cathode spot.

Interposed between the active cathode area 1 N and the anode 4 is a suitable bafiie it for redirecting the cathode vapor into a substantially flat downwardly directed stream of vapor. Preferably, this bafiie iii is of streamline design having a substantially concave conical surface i i.

In order to provide a suitable condensing area, all outer parts of the evacuated container 2 are providedwith a suitable cooling system herein illustrated as cooling coils i2 connected in good thermal contact with the metallic walls of the valve.

To secure a sweeping eifect of the cathode vapor along the condensing surface it, the condensing surface 53 is preferably provided with an outwardly curvedv contour so that the vapor flowing from the streamline baflie it substantially sweeps the condensing surface i3, and any material not condensed on this surface will now be directed, toward the surface of the cathode material 3. 1

In the operation of the valve according to my invention, it is found that the streamline bafile Ill directs the cathode vapor into .a substantially flat downwardly directed vapor stream which flows along the condensing surface it and produces a scrubbing or cleaning action thereon so that at least during operation thecondensing surface I3 is maintained in a clean condition,

thereby greatly facilitating the condensing of the-cathode vapor. This relatively fiat downwardly directed stream has a further action in that it entraps any gases in the anode space and at least during operation of the device maintains a pumping action to free the anode space of undesirable foreign gases. Also, by maintaining this pumping action the anode space is maintained in a condition whereby the vapor pressure approaches the pressure corresponding to the wall temperatures of the device.

While, for purposes of illustration, I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the true spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A vapor-electric device comprising an evacuated container, an anode in the upper portion of said container, a cathode pool in the bottom of said container, a baffle restricting the active cathode area to a predetermined portion of said cathode pool, means for periodically initiating a cathode spot on the active cathode area, a streamline baffle above the active cathode area for directing the cathode vapor outwardly, the container being curved outwardly and downward- 1y so that the redirected cathode vapor sweeps over the container surface in the direction of the cathode.

WILLIAM E. PAKALA. 

